The other night on the IRC #anglcan channel we discussed Mexican food.

Here is the recipe for Flan, an egg custard, caramel desert:
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1/2 cup sugar
6 eggs
8 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

This will be cooked in a hot water bath. Set a 9 x 1 1/4 inch pan in a slightly larger pan. Fill the outer pan with hot tap water to come up around the other pan. You many have to hold down the inner pan in the process. Remove the inner pan and place the outer pan with the water in a preheating 350 degree oven while you are mixing the custard.

In a small frying pan melt the 1/2 cup sugar. Shake the pan instead of stirring in this process. Once melted the sugar will caramelize very fast. When it does pour the caramel into the 9 inch pan. Tilt the pan to spread the caramel over the bottom and just slightly up the sides.

Be careful. The caramel is hot! Use gloves or hot pads. If the syrup hardens before you finish set the pan on moderate heat until it softens and then continue.

Beat the eggs, 6 tablespoons sugar, milk, and vanilla until well blended. Set the 9 inch pan with the caramel into the hot bath pan, pour in the custard. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Test by pushing the center of the custard with the back of a spoon. When done a crevice about 3/8 inches deep forms.

When done remove from hot water and chill at once. As it is cooling the caramel will partially dissolve. This is normal. When cold, loosen just the custard edge, then cover with a rimmed serving plate and quickly invert. The Flan with slowly slip out and the caramel sauce flows out. Cut into wedges, spoon on sauce. Serves six.